Could Dallas pivot from the Nico Harrison era? Yet another blockbuster trade surrounding Anthony Davis might offer a fresh start and closure.
The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the Dallas Mavericks are a team that could be active before it comes in just over a week.
Despite his hand injury that has kept him out for an extended period of time, future Hall of Fame big man Anthony Davis could draw some attention at the deadline.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes, he gives one thing that every team would do if the trade deadline was today. And for the Mavericks, he thinks that they should get what they can for AD.
"Maybe the timing and potential fluctuations in Davis' value are beside the point," Hughes writes. "There's a case to be made Dallas should want to move AD for page-turning purposes. Cooper Flagg is clearly the franchise's centerpiece, and Davis is a vestige of the deposed Nico Harrison regime. Moving him won't erase the Luka Dončić trade, but it could represent another step toward closure. Plus, it's clear Davis isn't interested in sticking around if the Mavs aren't going to give him a massive extension."
Davis suffered a hand injury earlier this month against the Utah Jazz, and thankfully he did not need surgery to fully recover. The downside is that he will miss six weeks in total, meaning he could come back as early as the beginning of March.
This could diminish his trade value a bit, but at the end of the day, teams know what AD is all about when he is healthy.
In the 20 games he has played so far this season he is averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds, and just under two blocks per game. Despite turning 33 in March, he is still a defensive monster and is playing solid basketball when he is on the floor.
But staying on the floor has been a bit of an issue as of late.
AD was obviously a main piece in the trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, and most Mavs fans would tell you they were not a fan of that. By trading Davis, Dallas could do some "page-turning'' and separate themselves from the Nico Harrison era.
And a lot of DFW fans would tell you that is the right move to make.